Preventive Dentistry

Did you know that tooth decay is the second most common disease, following the common cold? The sad fact is that most of us will experience at least one dental cavity during our lives, and a significant amount of the population will develop gum disease. So why are we, as a nation, so at risk for dental problems? There are a number of factors, but the way we treat our teeth has a lot to do with the outcome.

Preventive dentistry is the ongoing care used to prevent the occurrence of tooth decay and other dental diseases. Public health advocates are also battling the tooth decay epidemic through preventive dentistry methods.

We have so many resources to keep our dental health in check -- here's how you can best utilize them.

At Home

The main responsibility of preventive care falls on you! In order to reduce your chances of getting a dental disease, you have to take care of yourself. Consider the following points when it comes to your preventive dentistry program:

Oral Hygiene -- Brushing and flossing removes dental plaque, a film-like substance that is constantly forming on your teeth. If not removed, dental plaque can build up over time and produce dental tartar, a hardened, sticky substance which harbors the acid-producing bacteria that generate tooth decay. Eventually, dental tartar will creep under the gum line, leading to gum disease as well.

Diet -- A good diet is incredibly important to your dental health. Not only do foods that contain sugars and carbohydrates feed the bacteria that produce dental plaque, but studies also show a diet low in calcium can increase your chances of ending up with periodontal disease and jaw deterioration.

General dentistry is preventive dentistry, and dental exams are a necessary part of any preventive dentistry program. Because most dental problems are painless, if you're not visiting the dentist on a regular basis, you may not be aware of your condition until it causes significant damage. And if you're concerned about the cost, consider this: Preventive dentistry is less expensive than restorative dental treatment, which you're bound to need if you don't take care of your teeth!

Checkup and Dental Cleaning -- A prophylaxis, also known as a dental cleaning, appointment is recommended every six months to check for signs of tooth decay and remove dental plaque that you've missed. The dentist and dental hygienist have special tools to reduce the dental tartar and stains that you're unable to remove on your own.

X-rays -- X-rays allow dentists to look for dental conditions not visible to the naked eye, such as cavities between teeth and dental problems below the gum line.

Oral Cancer Screening -- Dentists will check for signs of malignancy during a dental exam. If needed, they'll conduct an oral cancer exam.

Patient Education -- Patients who understand the outcome of poor dental health are more likely to see the dentist for preventive dentistry treatments.

For Children

Preventive dentistry is especially important for children. Instilling excellent oral hygiene practices and a good diet at an early age will better prepare children for a lifetime of dental health. But considering that children's permanent teeth are still forming, dentists take extra measures to ensure a healthy smile.

Fluoride -- Fluoride strengthens teeth and prevents tooth decay. Fluoride treatments are provided in-office, and dentists recommend using fluoride toothpaste when brushing. The addition of fluoride to our public water supply has helped reduce dental caries by up to 40% over the last 60 years.

Dental Sealants - Dental sealants are a clear or white plastic coating placed over the back teeth to prevent dental plaque from forming on the surface.

Orthodontics -- A malocclusion can make it difficult to eat or speak, and crooked teeth are hard to keep clean. Correcting a child's bite with dental braces limits the possibility of dental problems as an adult.

Mouthguards -- See your dentist for a dental mouthguard to wear during sports activities. A custom-made mouthguard provides better fit and protection against a broken tooth. Mouthguards are also used as a treatment for bruxism, which is teeth grinding.

At-Home Care -- Children probably won't understand the long-term effects of bad oral habits. Parents should assist their children with brushing and flossing until they are able to do it on their own, and avoid putting their baby to bed with a bottle to prevent baby bottle tooth decay.

When practiced thoroughly, preventive dentistry can prevent pain, save you money and enable you to keep your teeth for a lifetime. And considering that oral health is linked to overall health, preventive dentistry can keep dental diseases from affecting your well-being. So if you don't already have an established preventive dentistry program, get started today -- it's never too late to improve your dental health!

If you need help finding a dentist, call today! Our friendly operators are available anytime to find a pre-screened dentist in your area.

Privacy Statement

Last updated: March 18, 2010
Effective date: March 18, 2010

This Web site is administered by Futuredontics, Inc. As part of the normal operation of our company and site we collect and disclose information about you. This Privacy Statement describes the information we collect about you and what may happen to that information.

Information We Collect
To match you with a dentist, either by telephone or via our online find-a-dentist pages, we require you to provide us with your full name, contact information such as address, telephone number and e-mail address ("personally identifiable information"), and dental need. In the course of using our service and/or Web site, we automatically track certain information about you. This information includes the URL that you just came from (whether this URL is on our site or not), which URL you go to next (whether this URL is on our site or not), what browser you are using, and your IP address. Most sites automatically collect this information.
In addition, we use cookies on certain pages of our site. Cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our site. You are always free to decline our cookies if your browser permits, although in that case you may be required to re-enter certain information more frequently during a visit to our site.

Our Use of Your Information
We use the information you provide to return to you a list of member dentists from which you may choose your new dentist. Additionally, we use personally identifiable information about you internally to improve our marketing and promotional efforts, to statistically analyze site usage, to improve our content and product offerings and to customize our site's content and layout. We believe these uses allow us to improve our site and better tailor it to meet your needs.

If you send personal correspondence to us, such as an e-mail, letter or survey, we may collect such information into a file specific to you. All correspondence, either provided to us or if contained within a customer survey, are deemed the property of Futuredontics, Inc. upon receipt. Correspondence submitted to Futuredontics, Inc. may be used in whole or in part, without restriction, and in any medium, by Futuredontics, Inc. in its sole and absolute discretion for any purpose, including marketing, advertising, and educational purposes. At no time will Futuredontics, Inc. use, reproduce, or publish any correspondence with personally identifiable information.
If you request to receive information regarding our member dentists, products, services, and/or promotional campaigns via e-mail and/or text message, you may receive a follow-up e-mail, telephone call, and/or text message from Futuredontics, Inc. Standard text messaging rates and/or cell phone airtime rates may apply. If at anytime you would like to unsubscribe from future communications from Futuredontics, Inc., please click here or contact us via e-mail at info@1800dentist.com.

Our Disclosure of Your Information
We reserve the right to use and to disclose to third parties all of the information that we collect from you over the telephone or online, in any way and for any purpose. Once you have selected a new dentist, either by telephone or through the use of our Web site, we will share your personally identifiable information with your dentist. If you request to be matched with a dentist for a specific dental product or brand, we may share your personally identifiable information with the company manufacturing the product. In addition, Futuredontics, Inc. cooperates with all law enforcement inquires. Therefore, local, state and federal law enforcement can request your name, street address, city, state, zip code, phone number, and e-mail address. Due to the existing regulatory environment, we may be forced to disclose information to the government or third parties under certain circumstances, or third parties may unlawfully intercept or access transmissions or private communications. Further, we can disclose any information about you to law enforcement or other government officials as we, in our sole discretion, believe necessary or appropriate. Therefore, although we use industry-standard practices to protect your privacy, we do not promise, and you should not expect, that your personally identifiable information or private communications will remain private.

Your Privacy Rights
Our consumers can request and obtain from us once a year, free of charge, information about the personally identifiable information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes in the preceding calendar year. If applicable, this information would include a list of the categories of personally identifiable information that was shared and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared such information in the immediately preceding calendar year. If you would like to request this information, please submit your request in writing to:

Changes to Privacy Statement
The terms of this privacy statement will govern the use and any information collected while it is in place. Futuredontics, Inc. reserves the right to change this Privacy Statement at any time, so please re-visit this page as often as you wish. In case of any material change, we will change the "Last Updated" date in this Privacy Statement. Changes to this Privacy Statement are effective as of the stated "Last Updated" date and your continued use of this site on or after the "Last Updated" date will constitute acceptance of, and agreement to be bound by, those changes.

Security
Futuredontics, Inc. uses industry-standard efforts to safeguard the confidentiality of your personally identifiable information, such as firewalls and Secure Socket Layers. However, "perfect security" does not exist on the Internet.

WEB SITE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE; DISCLAIMER
By accessing the site and its content, you, (hereafter referred to as "users") agree to be bound by the terms and conditions set forth herein. We reserve the right to change the terms and conditions at any time, and users agree to abide by the most recent version each time users view this site. Users are accordingly urged to reference the conditions set forth each time they access the site. Failure to follow these terms and conditions shall be construed as a violation of this agreement.

The user agrees to hold harmless Futuredontics, Inc., its shareholders, officers, directors, employees, affiliates and contributors from all claims arising out of, or related to the information contained within this site, access or use of, or inability to access or use the site.

Unless otherwise stated, all content contained herein, including but not limited to, the graphic images, audio, video, text, html codes and buttons contained herein and their arrangements, are owned or licensed by Futuredontics, Inc. and/or its contributors and may not be copied, reproduced, republished, posted, transmitted or distributed in any way without the prior written consent of Futuredontics, Inc. Nothing contained in this site shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to any copyright, patent, trademark or other proprietary interest of Futuredontics, Inc. or any third party. All trademarks used or referred to in this Web site are the property of the Futuredontics, Inc. and/or their respective owners.

The information provided on this site is free of charge and for informational purposes only and does not create any relationship between you and Futuredontics, Inc. or any of its officers, shareholders, owners, employees, affiliates or representatives. Links on this site may lead to services or sites not operated by Futuredontics, Inc. No judgment or warranty is made with respect to such other services or sites and Futuredontics, Inc. takes no responsibility for such other sites or services. A link to another site or service is not an endorsement of that site or service. Any use you make of the information provided on this site, or any site or service linked to by this site, is at your own risk.

The dental information presented throughout this Web site is not intended to be construed as, or to be a substitute for professional advice. The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not to be taken as medical or dental advice or treatment information. Although we may cite certain medical and/or dental procedures, perspectives, and products, we do not recommend or endorse them in any capacity. While we strive earnestly to update its resources for consumers and professionals, any individual reliance on this information is at the individual's own risk. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the information found herein, and further disclaim all liability or responsibility for injury or impairment experienced by any users who utilize any products, information or concepts.

Futuredontics, Inc. makes no representation or warranty of any kind with respect to this site or any service accessible through this site. Futuredontics, Inc. expressly disclaims all express and implied warranties including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. In no event will Futuredontics, Inc. be liable to any party for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, consequential, or other damages (including, but not limited to, lost profits, business interruption, loss of programs or data) without regard to the form of action and whether in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise, arising out of or in connection with this site, any content on or accessed through this site or any site service linked to, or any copying, displaying, or use thereof.

For specific medical or dental questions, please see a licensed health care professional.

Futuredontics, Inc. maintains this site in California, U.S.A. and all users agree that these terms of use and any legal action or proceeding relating to this site shall be governed by the laws of the State of California without reference to its choice of law rules. If any user attempts to bring any legal proceedings against us, the user specifically acknowledges that we are free to choose the jurisdiction of our preference as to where such action against us may be held. As the user has agreed by using this site to choose the laws of the State of California to govern any such proceedings, we will probably choose to defend any such action in California and we can make this decision entirely as it suits us, without regard to where in the world you are located, or from where in the world you visited this site.

The user is responsible for complying with the laws of the jurisdiction from which the user is accessing this site and agrees that he/she will not access or use the information on this site in violation of such laws.

Disclosures

Dentists must apply to become a member of the 1-800-DENTISTÂ® program, which involves completing detailed applications and passing our rigorous screening process. Our Quality Assurance department is dedicated to the initial screening and continued monitoring of member dentists, which includes, but is not limited to:

Verifying that member Dental Licenses are current and in good standing, not currently subject to disciplinary action, and carry malpractice insurance
Requiring certification for any claimed specialty or service.

Maintaining detailed dentist information, including school attended, services offered, office hours and more
Validating claims of practice features such as the ability to treat young children or state-of the-art equipment
Surveying patients on an ongoing basis to assure the highest level of satisfaction and care.

Once dentists pass our screening requirements they pay a membership fee, which may be either a flat monthly rate or on a per-lead basis. If any member fails to uphold our high standards (based on the criteria above or feedback from the consumers we match with their practice), they may be removed from the service. 1-800-DENTIST does not dictate member dentists' fees, treatment options or the manner in which they practice.

Consumers who call us or visit our website are asked to provide information including their location, dental need, insurance and preferred payment method. Based on these factors, 1-800-DENTIST searches for a member dentist who matches these needs, recommends the practice and, whenever possible, directly connects callers to the dentist's office so they can make an appointment. The service is completely free to consumers.